C urtai n-stretch er



(No Model.)

B. R. OSGOOD.

CURTAIN STRETGHER.

1TO-490,230 v I Patented M1117, 1893.

K F W 7% L 0 Z i f f I i/I Unrrnn STATES PATENT anion.

CURTAlN-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,230, dated January 17, 1893.

Application filed June 9, 1890. Serial No. 354,778. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ELIJAH R. Oseoon, of Columbus, county of Franklin, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Stretchers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to that class of devices employed for holding and stretching curtains and other similar articles or fabrics, and has for its object the provision of simple, cheap convenient and efficient means for pinning or fastening the article upon the frame, to adapt the frame to receive and evenly stretch articles of various patterns, and generally to improve the construction in such manner as to facilitate the location and removal of the article without damage thereto and to secure other advantages as will hereinafter appear. To accomplish all of this my improvements involve certain new and useful arrangements or combinations of parts and peculiarities of construction as will be herein first fullydesoribed and then pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification Figure l is a top or plan view showing one corner of aframe or stretcher constructed and arranged for operation in accordance with my improvements and involving my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross section on a larger scale of the bar or rail at the top of Fig. l and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the pin or hook shown in Fig. 2, having the slide or guide attached and both removed from the bar or rail. Fig. 4 shows a cross section on a larger scale of the bar or rail shown at the left of Fig. 1, and an elevation of a convenient form of clamp in place. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the slide or guide and attached pin shown in Fig. 4, the dotted lines indicating the position to which the pin or hook may be turned when desired.

In all the figures like letters of reference wherever they occur indicate corresponding parts.

The frame when complete in rectangular form is composed of four bars or rails, one at each side and one at each end, but they may be of any number to inclose any shape and they may be of any desired length. The rails are indicated at A and B, and it is to the construction of these and the manner of mounting the pins or books therein or thereon that my improvements are especially directed.

The rail A which for convenience may be assumed to be one of the end rails, (though either form may be placed at the end) is composed of two sections a and bin each of which is a groove 0 half round or thereabout, the two sections being so fashioned that when they are united there will be left a narrow space or channel 61 between them. The union is effected by nailing or gluing. Either section may contain more or less of a groove. The hooks or pins upon which the article to be stretched is secured are shown at e 6. These are each mounted upon a short slide or guide '6 calculated to move freely in the groove 6, the pins or hooks projecting through the channel at so that they may travel with their slides or guides but without danger of displacement. The channel at is so arranged that the hooks will travel on the top face of the railA when in use-but this is not a necessity.

The rail B is constructed in a manner similar to rail Athat is, it is composed of two sections f g united, the two sections forming the walls of a groove to contain the slides and having a channel between them for the pins 72 to travel in, the pins being attached to slides or guides 2'. In this form the channel for the pins is located on the side instead of on the top. The effect of this arrangement is to bring the pins it down nearer to a level with pins e when both forms of rail are employed than would be possible if both rails were like the rail A. Either or both forms of rail may however be adopted in the one frame. The pins, especially those at h, are made to turn in the slides to which they are applied so that they may be turned when desired and thus be out of the way when not required for use. The grooves Zm on the top of one rail and on the underside of the other are for the purpose of receiving a suitable clamp, a convenient form of which is shown at C. When the frame is put together, the clamps are set to temporarily hold the parts. Then the article whatever it is, is applied to the hooks which are moved back and forth to bring them to the desired points, those that are not required for use being turned out of the way. The parts of the frame are next adjusted so as to stretch the article to the desired extent and clamped or set in a manner which will be readily understood.

The advantages of the improved frame are probably most apparent when in use for stretching lace curtains. In these the seallops vary in distance from each other any where from two to five inches or more. No matter where the scallops are located the pins are brought or moved to correspond with their location and thus the curtain may be held at each point precisely as desired. Then forinstance, it may be stretched endwise, the pins on the sides following along with it without in any way interfering with the stretching. Thus as will be seen, the curtain may be as evenly stretched as if there were no pins or hooks at the sides. And like results follow the stretching in other directions.

While the slides or guides move freely in the grooves formed to receive them, they nearly fill the grooves so that the hooks are always held in position for use, projecting through the channels in the rails.

The improved frame is found to admirably answer the purpose or object of the invention above indicated.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

ELIJAH R. OSGOOD.

WVitnesses:

CLINTON BABBITT, TOBIAS Items. 

